Harry Maguire is seeing his continued selection in Manchester United's starting XI privately questioned by members of the first-team squad, The Times is reporting.
The England centre-back has seen his performances come under scrutiny during the 2021-22 season, with there having been previous rumours of a dressing room divide, that Maguire was forced to publicly deny.
And the latest murmurs of discontent from within the dressing room are not going to prove a welcome distraction for the Red Devils, with Sunday's Manchester derby clash with City on the horizon.
What is the report claiming?
The article published in The Times details that Maguire has been "privately questioned by members of the Manchester United squad".
The report does not state who is alleged to have issues with the former Leicester City centre-back's selection.
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It does, however, allege that some of his team-mates "have aired their grievances among themselves at the club's Carrington training ground" and that they "felt some of the defender's performances did not meet the club's standards".
Has Maguire reacted to the story?
Maguire has not made any comment relating to the story, while United haven't responded either.
Head coach Ralf Rangnick is due to speak to the media at his pre-match press conference on March 4, and it is almost certain he will once again be asked about Maguire's role in the team.
Indeed, the United defender addressed a previous rumour that had circulated in the media that suggested Maguire had been embroiled in a "power struggle" with Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford over who should be captain.
The 28-year-old posted on social media in response to the Daily Mirror's story: "I’ve seen a lot of reports about this club that aren’t true and this is another.
"Not going to start posting about everything that is written but I needed to make this one clear. We’re united and focused on Sunday. Enjoy your day everyone."
What do we know?
GOAL's Manchester United correspondent Charlotte Duncker says: "Maguire's position in the team has been under scrutiny for a few weeks with the England international performing poorly.
"Rangnick agreed that the centre-back's displays have not been up to scratch but put that down to learning a new system and said he had no plans at all to strip Maguire of the captaincy.
"The United captain was dropped to the bench for the game against Watford at the weekend and Bruno Fernandes was given the captain's armband.
"Sources say there are certain friendship cliques within the dressing room but suggestions of a rift have been denied and played down."
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